Good Word Wednesday

We're back! I got out of the car yesterday and my shirt was plastered to my back from sweating (with the air on!) and I was sure wishing we weren't back. It was so great up there in the mountains with the light rainy days and no schedules to keep. Here's how it went:

Friday we took it easy and enjoyed the amazing weather; it rained off and on all day and just felt heavenly. When it cleared up a little we went for a drive to a secret local creek and let the kids catch tad poles while the adults ate watermelon and kept the little girls from floating away.

Saturday was the big celebration day. In the morning I got Porter up early, already dressed for our 2-mile fun run, we slipped our shoes on and left to join the race. He had a great attitude at the starting line and took of sprinting. I ran along beside him until his little legs got tired and then we just walked the rest of the way. As we went he asked me a list of random questions which is really just the norm for Porter (" What's your favorite scripture from the Bible?" "Do you think that if I had a six-layer dynamite I could blow a cave in that mountain?" "Did you know that the sun is actually just covered in volcanoes?") He was so much better than my ipod. I don't know who won, it wasn't us, but it was my favorite race ever.

At the parade Elle and I went down to the family spot and waited for Olen and Porter to cruise by in The General Lee. When we heard the tune of Dixie (the trademark horn-honk of the car, ya know) we get closer to see my boys all in smiles and trying to act like their dreams really aren't coming true. I was blowing kisses and Olen and his car were under small-town paparazzi attack. It was beautiful. Side stories of the ride up there: Olen didn't want to haul his car up to the parade in the trailer, he wanted to drive it. So I followed behind like the groupie I am and watched cars speed up to Olen on the highway only to slow down and sway a little as they were taking a picture with their camera phone. At one gas stop in a tiny town I heard one man say, "That's The General Lee, man! I would give my good teeth for that car." No kidding. It was seriously awesome. When a loaded Cadalac Escalade pulled up to Olen at the stop light out of town and revved its engine, guess what Olen did? Gave them a good show of revving his engine and beat them off the line honking Dixie as he went. I was left in the dust only to imagine the smile Olen was trying to hide.

The fireworks show was the longest I can remember in our seven years' experience. No kidding, folks, you haven't seen fireworks until you see them in those canyons. I really felt like I could have been watching the rocket's red glare and bombs bursting in air.

Sunday and Monday were spent resting and taking the kids and company to see a movie at the closest theater in the next town over. Turns out the best way to keep a three year-old entertained during a movie is to give her a pair of 3D glasses. London wore her glasses and never took them off, and I actually got to watch the movie, too.

Now it's back to business as usual and whatever that means. I guess it means going to my Real Estate license renewal classes today, tucking The General Lee in and getting back to life in 115 degrees.

Here's the photographic evidence: